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Chapter overviewLike anyone else, communication professionals sometimes face situations where particular activities might be legally acceptable, butchallenging from a moral point of view (Bowen, 2010). Six out of ten communication professionals in Europe report that they haveencountered such situations in their daily work within the last twelve months. 35% of the respondents have actually experienced severalethical challenges. The survey shows that ethical issues are much more relevant than five years ago, driven by compliance and transparencyrules (a statement supported by 77% of the respondents). Moreover, the increase in social media (72%) and the international character ofcommunication today make communication more challenging from an ethical standpoint than before (57%). These figures show that there is a high appearance and awareness of ethical problems in the world of strategic communication.Professionals working in the areas of governmental relations, lobbying, public affairs and in the areas of online communication and socialmedia encounter most ethical challenges. Two thirds of them faced such problems at least once last year. Less ethical questions wereperceived in the fields of internal and international communication. The results show that ethical questions are more prevalent in EasternEurope, compared to Western, Northern and Southern Europe. Also professionals working in consultancies and non-profit organisations aremore confronted with the ethical side of public relations than professionals working in governmental organisations, private companies andjoint stock companies. Despite the variety of challenges and the intense debate on codes of ethics in the profession over many years, the majority of Europeancommunication practitioners has never used such a code, e. g. the code of Athens, to solve moral problems. Only a minority of 29% has everapplied a code in their daily work. Logically, professionals with more than ten years work experience have used codes of ethics significantlymore often (31%) than younger colleagues with less than five years of experience (22%). Male communication professionals and members ofprofessional communication organisations use ethical codes more often than female professionals or professionals who are not affiliated toassociations. A country-by-country analysis reveals that the use of codes is surprisingly not used to a higher extent in countries with anelaborated system of regulations and institutions like Germany (Avenarius, 2007; Bentele & Avenarius, 2009). An explanation for the poor utilisation of overarching professional norms might be found in the low acceptance of current codes. Almost32% of the professionals think that typical ethical codes provided by the PR profession today are outdated. Nevertheless, an overwhelmingmajority of 93% finds that the communication profession really needs such rules. Most respondents take the view that national (30%) orinternational professional associations (28%) are most suited to develop modern codes of conduct. Professionals working in companiesfavour international associations, while all others prefer national associations as eligible providers of ethical codes. Even non members ofprofessional associations think that such associations are the most suitable providers. This point of view is shared across the continent.It can be interpreted as a call for action to provide up-to date guidelines made to fit the digital age across Europe. 19

ContentForeword and Introduction 6Research design
8Methodology and demographics 10Ethical challenges and standards 18Professionalisation and accreditation 36Practice of strategic communication 42Strategic issues, power and influence 52Social media: Importance, implementation and skills 62Professional training and development 76Management, business and communication qualifications 86Recruiting young professionals 100Salaries 106References 114Partners and Sponsor 117Advisory Board 120Authors and Research Team 121 5

Foreword The past year has
seen many economic and political upheavals which continue to change the work environment for the communications profession, and the 2012 European Communication Monitor examines the various challenges this volatile context poses for communicators and their daily work. This year’s survey looks for the first time at ethical challenges in communications, a topic that a majority of participants say is more important to them than five years ago. While only 29% of communicators resort to existing professional codes of ethics to address moral problems, 93% see a clear need for them, with national and international professional associations being their preferred providers: a challenge that we as an association must address. The integration of communication into business strategies continues to be a vital concern for communication professionals, only narrowly topped by digital and social media. For efficientstrategic communication, practitioners need to possess a broad set of skills; finding qualified staff constitutes an on-going concern for heads of communication. Management skills are the most sought-after; however, there exists a biggap between demand and supply. While practitioners are confident in analysis, planning and leadership, they are lessso in finances, organisation and control. These are important findings that our association will take on board as wediscuss qualification and education in our field.I hope this year’s ECM will provide you with valuable insights for your daily business and vocational training – it willcertainly continue to inspire our work as a pan-European association.Dr. Herbert HeitmannPresident, European Association of Communication Directors (EACD) 6

Introduction An increasing number of
touchpoints with their publics is forcing many organisations to rethink the practices of strategic communication. For instance shaping the same and consistent image for all stakeholders, a core idea of integrated communications, is nowadays less popular than the concept of polyphony, meaning a simultaneous and sequential stimulation of several perceptions to address different stakeholders. Ethical issues are more prevalent than ever in the field, but current codes of ethics are seldom used and rated as outdated by many professionals. Mobile applications are seen as important tools, however there are large gaps between their perceived importance and real implementation in European organisations. These are just a few examples of the thought-provoking findings of the European Communication Monitor 2012 presented in this publication. With almost 2,200 participantsfrom 42 countries, the annual survey is the largest study in the practice and the future of communicationmanagement and public relations worldwide.I would like to thank everyone who has participated in the survey. Also, on behalf of the research team and advisoryboard, I express my gratitude to Anne Ihle and Ronny Fechner for the ongoing support, as well as to our partnersEACD and Communication Director magazine, and to our sole sponsor Ketchum Pleon.Prof. Dr. Ansgar ZerfassProfessor of Communication Management, University of Leipzig, Germany &Executive Director, European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA) 7

Key FactsEuropean Communication Monitor 2012
Most comprehensive analysis of communication management and public relations worldwide with 2,185 participating professionals from 42 countries Annual research project conducted since 2007 by a group of professors from 11 renowned universities across Europe, led by Prof. Dr. Ansgar Zerfass, University of Leipzig (Germany) Organised by the European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA), European Association of Communication Directors (EACD) and Communication Director Magazine Sponsor: Ketchum Pleon Research topics in 2012: Ethical challenges and standards; professional accreditation and certification; practice of communication in organisations; integrating and coordinating communications; strategic issues in communication management; power and influence of the communication function; importance and implementation of social media; digital technology skills; professional training and development; level and sources of management, business and communication qualifications; recruiting young professionals; salaries of communication professionals; comparative analysis (Europe vs. USA) and longitudinal analysis (annual development since 2009) of selected insights 9

Chapter overviewLike anyone else, communication
professionals sometimes face situations where particular activities might be legally acceptable, butchallenging from a moral point of view (Bowen, 2010). Six out of ten communication professionals in Europe report that they haveencountered such situations in their daily work within the last twelve months. 35% of the respondents have actually experienced severalethical challenges. The survey shows that ethical issues are much more relevant than five years ago, driven by compliance and transparencyrules (a statement supported by 77% of the respondents). Moreover, the increase in social media (72%) and the international character ofcommunication today make communication more challenging from an ethical standpoint than before (57%). These figures show that there is a high appearance and awareness of ethical problems in the world of strategic communication.Professionals working in the areas of governmental relations, lobbying, public affairs and in the areas of online communication and socialmedia encounter most ethical challenges. Two thirds of them faced such problems at least once last year. Less ethical questions wereperceived in the fields of internal and international communication. The results show that ethical questions are more prevalent in EasternEurope, compared to Western, Northern and Southern Europe. Also professionals working in consultancies and non-profit organisations aremore confronted with the ethical side of public relations than professionals working in governmental organisations, private companies andjoint stock companies. Despite the variety of challenges and the intense debate on codes of ethics in the profession over many years, the majority of Europeancommunication practitioners has never used such a code, e. g. the code of Athens, to solve moral problems. Only a minority of 29% has everapplied a code in their daily work. Logically, professionals with more than ten years work experience have used codes of ethics significantlymore often (31%) than younger colleagues with less than five years of experience (22%). Male communication professionals and members ofprofessional communication organisations use ethical codes more often than female professionals or professionals who are not affiliated toassociations. A country-by-country analysis reveals that the use of codes is surprisingly not used to a higher extent in countries with anelaborated system of regulations and institutions like Germany (Avenarius, 2007; Bentele & Avenarius, 2009). An explanation for the poor utilisation of overarching professional norms might be found in the low acceptance of current codes. Almost32% of the professionals think that typical ethical codes provided by the PR profession today are outdated. Nevertheless, an overwhelmingmajority of 93% finds that the communication profession really needs such rules. Most respondents take the view that national (30%) orinternational professional associations (28%) are most suited to develop modern codes of conduct. Professionals working in companiesfavour international associations, while all others prefer national associations as eligible providers of ethical codes. Even non members ofprofessional associations think that such associations are the most suitable providers. This point of view is shared across the continent.It can be interpreted as a call for action to provide up-to date guidelines made to fit the digital age across Europe. 19

Six out of ten communication
professionals in Europe report about ethical challenges in their daily work Ethical challenges experienced within the last twelve months? Yes, several times 35.0% No 43.2% Yes, once 21.7%www.communicationmonitor.eu / Zerfass et al. 2012 / n = 2,137 PR professionals. Q 1: In your daily work, did you experience ethical challenges within the last 20twelve months?

Ethical issues are much more
relevant than in former times, driven by internationalisation strategies, compliance rules and social media practices Communication professionals in Europe: 57.6% state that they face more ethical challenges than five years ago 77.3% 72.3% 57.4% Compliance and transparency Social media communication Communicating internationally rules force professionals to be brings about ethical challenges is more challenging from an more cautious today that differ from other channels ethical standpointwww.communicationmonitor.eu / Zerfass et al. 2012 / n = 2,185 PR professionals from 42 countries. Q 2: What do you think of these statements? Complianceand transparency rules force professionals to be more cautious today. Social media communication brings about ethical challenges that differ from otherchannels. Communicating internationally is less challenging from an ethical standpoint than communicating in my own country (reverse coded). Nowadays,communication professionals face less ethical challenges then five years ago (reverse coded). Scale 1 (strongly disagree) – 5 (totally agree). Considered scale 25points 4-5 (normal) or 1-2 (reverse).

Professional codes of ethics: Only
a minority of European communication practitioners uses them to solve moral problems Usage of a professional code of ethics to solve moral problems Yes 29.0% No 51.7% I have never had such a problem 19.3%www.communicationmonitor.eu / Zerfass et al. 2012 / n = 2,096 PR professionals. Q 3: Did you ever use a professional code of ethics (i.e. the Code of Athens)to solve a moral problem in your daily work? 27

Professionals with more experience on
the job are more likely to have used codes of ethics than younger colleagues 20.1% 18.5% 19.5% 53.6% 49.1% 58.3% 27.8% 31.4% 21.6% Less than 5 years experience on the job 6 to 10 years experience on the job More than 10 years experience on the job Use of a code of ethics No Use of a code of ethics No moral problems experiencedwww.communicationmonitor.eu / Zerfass et al. 2012 / n = 2,096 PR professionals. Q 3: Did you ever use a professional code of ethics (i.e. the Code of Athens)to solve a moral problem in your daily work? Differences are highly significant (chi-square test / Cramers V, p ≤ 0.01, V = 0.058). 28

Despite low utilisation and critical
voices, communication professionals clearly see the need for a code of ethics Does the communication profession Which institutions are most eligible to need a code of ethics? provide such a code? National 29.6% professional associations International 28.4% professional associations No Yes Organisations 6.8% 19.8% 93.2% individually Governmental 10.2% institutions Universities and 5.2% educational institutionswww.communicationmonitor.eu / Zerfass et al. 2012 / n = 2,185 PR professionals. Q 4: Do you think that the communication profession needs a code of ethics, 32and if needed, which institutions are most eligible to provide such a code?

Chapter overviewOne of the ongoing
issues in communication management is the further professionalisation of the practice. Research has identified manifolddrivers which foster or hinder achievements in the field. The most important barriers in Europe were identified in this survey. A large majorityof the respondents state that a lack of understanding of communication practice within the top management (84%) and difficulties of theprofession itself to prove the impact of communication activities on organisational goals (75%) are the main barriers for furtherprofessionalisation of the practice. So the key challenges for European communication professionals are to explain the communicationfunction to top management and to prove the value of communication for organisations. Other barriers are, in decreasing order, a shortageof up-to-date communication training (54%), a poor reputation of professional communication and public relations in society (52%), thephenomenon that experience is valued more highly than formal qualifications in communication or public relations (52%), the status of PRand communication associations and professional bodies (40%). Although a lack of formal accreditation systems for the profession is only seen as a large barrier by every fourth respondent, mostpractitioners do see advantages of such systems, which are already in place in the United Kingdom, Brazil and other countries. They thinkhowever that the impact of these systems will be mainly on the reputation of the field and much less on quality. 70% of the respondentsthink that national or international accreditation can help to improve the recognition and the reputation of the field. But only 58% agreethat a global accreditation system will help to standardise the practice of public relations and 54% believe that accreditation ensures thatpractitioners will have proper knowledge of recent communication tools and trends. Furthermore, more than six out of ten of respondentsare convinced that, regardless of any accreditation system, organisations will always find ways to hire the best people for communicationjobs. This questions the real value of such systems. The results of the monitor also show that there are significant regional differences in the way professionals think about accreditationsystems. Practitioners in Eastern and Southern Europe have a stronger belief in accreditation systems than their colleagues in Northern andWestern Europe. Furthermore communication practitioners working in non-profit organisations believe to a lesser extent in thestandardisation power of accreditation, compared to practitioners in private or joint stock companies. The opinions differ especially on thebelief in global standardisation of the practice. Also, non-profits are more sceptical about the positive reputation and recognition gained byformal qualification systems. 37

Professionalisation of communication: Explaining the
function to top management and proving value for organisations are key challenges Barriers affecting professionalisation of communication management Lack of understanding of communication practice within top 84.2% management Difficulties to prove the impact of communication activities on 75.3% organisational goals Shortage of up-to-date communication training/education 53.9% Poor reputation of professional communication and PR in society 52.4% Experience is more highly valued than qualifications in 51.5% communication/PR Status of PR/communication associations and professional bodies 39.5% Lack of formal accreditation systems for the profession 25.8% Current codes of ethics 17.4%www.communicationmonitor.eu / Zerfass et al. 2012 / n = 2,185 PR professionals from 42 countries. Q 6: Many barriers are affecting the professionalisationof PR / communication management. In your opinion, how strongly do the following issues affect professionalisation? Scale 1 (effects not at all) − 5 (affects 38very strongly). Considered scale points 4-5.

Most practitioners see advantages of
professional accreditation systems; but the impact will be mainly reputational and less on quality National or international accreditation can help improve the recognition and reputation of the communication 70.1% profession A global accreditation system would help to standardise 58.3% the practice of public relations/communication An accreditation will ensure that practitioners have a proper knowledge of recent communication tools and 54.1% trends Organisations will always find ways to hire the best 63.9% people for specific jobs, regardless of any accreditationwww.communicationmonitor.eu / Zerfass et al. 2012 / n = 2,185 PR professionals from 42 European countries. Q 5: In some countries (e. g. Great Britain, USA,Brazil) there are accreditation systems for public relations and communication professionals. What do you think about accreditation systems of the profession?Scale 1 (strongly disagree) − 5 (totally agree). Considered scale points 4-5. 39

Regional differences: Practitioners in Eastern
and Southern Europe have a stronger belief in accreditation systems National or international accreditation can help improve the recognition and reputation of the communication profession** A global accreditation system would help to standardise the practice of public relations/communication** An accreditation will ensure that practitioners have a proper knowledge of recent communication tools and trends** Organisations will always find ways to hire the best people for specific jobs, regardless of any accreditation strongly disagree (3) totally agree Western Europe Northern Europe Southern Europe Eastern Europewww.communicationmonitor.eu / Zerfass et al. 2012 / n = 2,185 PR professionals. Q 5: What do you think about accreditation systems of the profession?Scale 1-5. Mean values. ** Highly significant differences (chi-square test, p ≤ 0.01). 40

Communication practitioners working in non-profit
organisations are less confident in the standardisation power of accredition National or international accreditation can help improve the recognition and reputation of the communication profession* A global accreditation system would help to standardise the practice of public relations/communication** An accreditation will ensure that practitioners have a proper knowledge of recent communication tools and trends Organisations will always find ways to hire the best people for specific jobs, regardless of any accreditation strongly disagree (3) totally agree Joint stock companies Private companies Governmental Organisations Non-profit organisationswww.communicationmonitor.eu / Zerfass et al. 2012 / n = 2,185 PR professionals; Q 5: What do you think about accreditation systems of the profession? 41Scale 1-5. Mean values. * Significant differences (chi-square test, p ≤ 0.05). ** Highly significant differences (chi-square test, p ≤ 0.01).

Chapter overviewFor decades now, communication
management and public relations is transforming itself from an operational practice of preparing,producing and disseminating communication materials into a full strategic management function, which includes speaking as well as listening,consulting as well as executing. Van Ruler and Verčič (2005) proposed that today’s top communicators not only manage communication ontheir own, but more and more often take over responsibilities for education and training of the top management and other colleagues incommunication. Moreover, they take responsibilities for the alignment of an organisation’s mission and the expectations of stakeholders.This practice has been named reflective communication management. Empirical data from this survey show that this concept can be found in the real world of strategic communication, although mostpractitioners still stick to traditional role models. However, those are clearly reaching their limits because the complexity of communicationis increasing. Organisations are interacting with more stakeholders through more media in more directions. 82% of the respondents say thattheir organisation, compared to five years ago, has more touchpoints with its publics. According to comparative data, the situation is evenmore extreme in the United States: the figure there is almost 93%. Three out of four European communication professionals agree that thecorporate/organisational voice is created by all organisational members interacting with stakeholders. So it is not surprising that the idea ofshaping a consistent image for all stakeholders is supported by fewer respondents than the alternative concept of polyphony (Cornelissenet al., 2008), meaning that several perceptions are stimulated simultaneously and sequentially in different stakeholder relationships. These changes in the environment are requiring communication professionals to reconceptualise and reorganise what they do. Althoughthe majority of productive time still goes to operational communication (talking to colleagues and media, writing texts, monitoring, organisingevents, etc) this does not account for more than 37% of a typical week. Managing activities related to planning, organising, leading staff,evaluating strategies, justifying spending and preparing for crises takes 29% of the time. Reflective communication management, aligningcommunication, the organisation/client and its stakeholders take 19% and coaching, training and educating members of the organisation or aclient takes almost 15%. As expected, there are significant correlations with the position of a communicator in the organisational hierarchy,with the influence of the communication function (having more influence on top management correlates with more reflection and lessoperations) and with sectors – all businesses (private companies, joint stock companies and consultancies) allow for more reflexivemanagement than non-profit and governmental organisations. Media relations professionals perform the largest portion of operational work,while practitioners engaged in governmental relations, public affairs and lobbying spend more time for reflective activities. This may also bea possible explanation for Belgium being on the top of a league of countries with the highest amount of time spent on reflection in thecommunication function. 43

Integrating communications: Organisations have more
touchpoints than ever; many pursue strategic leadership while supporting multiple voices and images Compared to five years ago, we have more touchpoints with our 81.7% publics Compared to five years ago, we have less control over our message 43.2% It is the job of communication/PR to define the corporate/ 70.8% organisational voice across all media Corporate/organisational voice is created by all organisational 74.1% members interacting with stakeholders The central communication function defines overall strategic guidelines and messages, which others adapt for their own 71.2% situation We shape the same and consistent image for all stakeholders 50.6% We stimulate several perceptions simultaneously and sequentially 58.3% to address different stakeholder relationshipswww.communicationmonitor.eu / Zerfass et al. 2012 / n = 2,185 PR professionals. Q 8: To what extent do these statements describe the situation in yourorganisation? Scale 1 (strongly disagree) − 5 (totally agree). Considered scale points 4-5. 44

Experiences and functional goals of
communication professionals in Europe and the United States differ in various ways Compared to five years ago, we have more touchpoints with our 83.5% publics 92.5% It is the job of communication/PR to define the corporate/ 71.3% organisational voice across all media 90.0% The central communication function defines overall strategic 70.7% guidelines and messages, which others adapt for their own situation* 64.9% Compared to five years ago, we have less control over our 41.4% message 55.2% European communication professionals (ECM 2012) US communication professionals (GAP VII)www.communicationmonitor.eu / Zerfass et al. 2012 / n = 1,712 European PR professionals working in communication departments, Q 8. Swerling et al. 2012 /nmax = 572 US PR professionals working in communication departments. * Slightly different wording in GAP VII: The central communication organization sets the 45overall strategic communications direction, which the organization/profit centers then adapt for their own situations.

How European communication professionals spend
their productive time at work Aligning communication, the organisation/client and its stakeholders Operational communication (studying business and social research reports, (talking to colleagues and identifying organisational goals, monitoring journalists, writing press releases public issues and stakeholder expectations, and print/online texts, producing debating visions and business strategies with communication media, monitoring top management and other departments, results of our activities, organising developing scenarios, building legitimacy) 37.0% events etc.) 19.3% Coaching, training and educating 14.7% members of the organisation or clients 29.0% (on the vision, mission and other Managing communication activities communication related issues as well as and co-workers upgrading their communicative competence, (planning, organising, leading staff, preparing them for communicating with the budgeting, evaluating processes and media, stakeholders etc.) strategies, justifying communication spending, preparing for crises)www.communicationmonitor.eu / Zerfass et al. 2012 / n = 2,185 PR professionals. Q 7: Please think about how you spend most of your time at work. Pleasedivide your productive time spent at work (values should add up to 100%). In a typical week, I spend the following amount of time with … Scale 0%, 10%, …, 46100%. Figure displays median for each item; values have been rounded based on mean values.

Chapter overviewFor European communication professionals
coping with the digital evolution and the social web is still the most important strategic issuetoday and in the next three years. More than 46% of the respondents name this topic when asked for the three top challenges until 2015.Just like in the 2011 and 2010 surveys, the digital evolution is closely followed by the challenge of linking business strategy andcommunication effectively. 44% of the respondents think this an important issue. Since 2009 these two issues have been at the top of thelist of strategic challenges for the profession. Coming third, and this year new on the list, is the need to address more audiences and channelswith limited resources for communication (34%). Other important issues are still the question of how to strengthen the role of the communication function in helping top managementto take strategic decisions (34%) and how to build and maintain trust with the public and society (32%). Strikingly sustainability and socialresponsibility as well as transparency are considered much less an issue than in the previous years. In 2012, only every fifth respondent(21%) says that sustainability/responsibility is important and only 23% are challenged by transparency and active audiences. In 2011, bothissues were considered much more important and mentioned by 37% and 35% respectively. This might be interpreted as a switch to routinemode: Many organisations have by now developed programs for corporate social responsibility communications and found ways to engagewith critical publics, so management attention is now focusing on other challenges. Not surprisingly the distribution of the top issues differs within the different types of organisations: in private and joint stock companiesthe issue of linking business and communication is considered to be the most important, in governmental organisations the need to reachall audiences with limited resources and in non-profit organisations strengthening the role of communication in strategic decision leads thepriority list. In the last year both advisory influence, that is the perception of how seriously senior managers take the recommendations ofcommunication professionals, and executive influence, that is the perception of how likely it is that communication representatives willbe invited to senior-level meetings dealing with organisational strategic planning, have decreased in Europe. The perception of advisoryinfluence went down from nearly 78% in 2011 to less than 70% in 2012. Executive influence went down from almost 77% to 72%. This yearit is the first time since the monitor started that these figures are dropping. A comparison shows that communication functions in the UnitedStates are better in these dimensions on average – however all Scandinavian states as well as Germany, the United Kingdom and theNetherlands report a stronger and partially much stronger executive influence. 53

Most important strategic issues for
communication management until 2015 Coping with the digital evolution and the social web 46.3% Linking business strategy and communication 44.1% Matching the need to address more audiences and channels with 33.8% limited resources Strengthening the role of the communications function in 33.8% supporting top-management decision making Building and maintaining trust 32.2% Dealing with the demand for more transparency and active 23.4% audiences Supporting organisational change 21.7% Dealing with sustainable development and social responsibility 20.7% Redefining the relationship between marketing and corporate 15.7% communications Expanding listening and monitoring capabilities, internally and 14.9% externally Developing organisational structures for coordinating 13.5% communication activities across countries and stakeholderswww.communicationmonitor.eu / Zerfass et al. 2012 / n = 2,185 PR professionals. Q 9: Please pick those three issues which you believe will be most important 54for public relations / communication management within the next three years! Figure displays percentage of respondents who chose items as Top-3 issue.

Divergence of priorities and top
issues in various types of organisations 44.9% Coping with the digital evolution and the social web 42.7% 46.1% 46.2% Linking business strategy and communication 36.9% 41.1% Matching the need to address more audiences and channels with 32.5% 40.5% limited resources 32.9%Strengthening the role of the communications function in supporting 32.8% 33.2% top-management decision making 47.9% Dealing with the demand for more transparency and active 18.5% 34.1% audiences 27.5% 23.1% Dealing with sustainable development and social responsibility 17.3% 16.1% Redefining the relationship between marketing and corporate 18.0% Companies (joint stock & private) 8.4% Governmental organisations communications 11.1% Non-profit organisations www.communicationmonitor.eu / Zerfass et al. 2012 / n = 1,712 PR professionals working in communication departments; Q 9: Please pick those three issues 55 which you believe will be most important for public relations / communication management within the next three years!